Sha Zukang (; born 1947) is a Chinese
diplomat who was head of the
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) is part of the United Nations Secretariat and is responsible for the follow-up to major United Nations Summits and Conferences, as well as services to the United Nations Ec ...
from 2007 to 2012. He was previously the Chinese ambassador to the
United Nations Office at Geneva
The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG, french: Office des Nations Unies à Genève) in Geneva, Switzerland, is one of the four major offices of the United Nations where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence. The main UNO ...
.
Education and diplomatic career
A graduate of
Nanjing University
Nanjing University (NJU; ) is a national public research university in Nanjing, Jiangsu. It is a member of C9 League and a Class A Double First Class University designated by the Chinese central government. NJU has two main campuses: the Xian ...
, Sha started his diplomatic career as a staff member at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom and served in a variety of positions in the Chinese Diplomatic Service. He established the Department of Arms Control in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as its first Director-General from 1997 to 2001. Earlier, he served as Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs and Deputy Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland (1995–1997).
Notable positions
He has served as the Chairperson of the Government Group of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization, President of the Trade and Development Board of the United Nations, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee and the Committee of the Whole of the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is an intergovernmental organization within the United Nations Secretariat that promotes the interests of developing countries in world trade. It was established in 1964 by the ...
and Coordinator of the Like-Minded-Group of the
Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
.
His latest assignment was as Secretary-General to the Rio
Earth Summit
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Conference or the Earth Summit (Portuguese: ECO92), was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from June 3 to June 14, 1992.
Earth Su ...
, a global conference on sustainable development held in 2012 in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
.
Controversies
He is noted for being outspoken. In a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
interview on August 17, 2006, he told the US to "shut up" regarding criticism on arms spending of China, noting that U.S. arms expenditure was half of the world's total. In 2007, ''
'' magazine published a satirical commentary purporting to be by Sha, the "UN Secretary for Kicking Butt," and in 2010 called Sha "China's
" (the famously blunt U.S. ambassador to the UN under President
). At an Austrian meeting of UN officials in September 2010, he said to UN Secretary General
, "I know you never liked me, Mr. Secretary-General. Well, I never liked you, either" and about
, an American UN official, that "I really don't like him." He added that he had come to respect the UN chief and praised Mr. Orr for a speech he had given.